Papardelle Bolognese

The first day of summer does not lend itself to a recipe for a heavy pasta and meat dish, you say. Here in the PNW, though, a June day can offer up a range of weather. Yesterday's version was 58 degrees and raining. It was my "Friday," and I drove home from work thinking about the papardelle from Trader Joe's languishing in my pantry. We would be unable to eat outside as we do nearly every evening in summer, so a cozy pasta meal at the dining table seemed like a great alternative. 

Papardelle bolognese is not your typical weeknight meal. The preparation takes approximately half an hour, followed by an hour and a half of simmering with amazing smells emanating from the kitchen. It is a meal more conducive to a quiet winter Saturday, but getting into my kitchen and cooking a good meal is a way to decompress from the work week.

The recipe is loosely taken from this one at Ladyberd's Kitchen and some variations from Epicurious based on the ingredients I already had in the house. Most recipes call for pancetta and some for bacon, and I had neither last night. A mix of ground meats tastes best, so last night's version here contained ground beef and crumbled Italian sausage. 

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 carrots, finely chopped

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound ground beef

1 pound Italian sausage

2 whole tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup baby portabella mushrooms, sliced

1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme (I used Penzey's Pasta Sprinkle)

3/4 cup red wine (try to find a good Italian one and use the same one you will drink with the meal)

1 cup milk

1 6-ounce can tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste

1/4 teaspoon pepper or to taste

Papardelle pasta, cooked according to package directions

Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. (My Le Creuset dutch oven worked wonderfully for this dish.) Add onion, carrots, and celery and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Mince the garlic into the pot during this time, and don't let the vegetables brown. 

Add the meat and increase to high heat. Cook until the meat is browned.

Add the tomatoes, mushrooms, milk, wine, tomato paste, and thyme or pasta sprinkle and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Season with salt and pepper.

Toward the end of cooking, boil water for the pasta and cook the pasta. Serve with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Buon appetito!

Suggested accompaniments: Green salad with roasted red peppers and balsamic vinaigrette

Wine pairing: 2009 Artezin Charbono, Napa Valley